meticulous

play

adjective me·tic·u·lous \mə-ˈti-kyə-ləs\

Definition of meticulous

: marked by extreme or excessive care in the consideration or treatment of details a meticulous researcher

meticulosity

play \-ˌti-kyə-ˈlä-sə-tē\ noun

meticulously

play \-ˈti-kyə-ləs-lē\ adverb

meticulousness

play \-nəs\ noun

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Examples of meticulous in a Sentence

Always meticulous about his appearance in the past, he had become dirty and unkempt, with straggly hair, stained clothes, and patches of silver stubble on his chin. —Minette Walters, Fox Evil, 2002
She was very much the craftswoman, all her work meticulous, slow, perfect. —Simon Winchester, The Professor and the Madman, 1998
In dense, meticulous arguments … Brooten mounts an assault on that view. —Cullen Murphy, Atlantic, August 1993
He described the scene in meticulous detail.
He is meticulous about keeping accurate records.

Recent Examples of meticulous from the Web

But, as Mr Campbell’s meticulous work makes plain, this was no typical colonial atrocity.

— The Economist, "Italy and the Addis Ababa massacre," 20 July 2017
Maloof, who earned an Oscar nomination for his 2013 doc Finding Vivian Maier, is now the keeper of her legacy, overseeing the meticulous preservation and printing of the negatives, many thousands of which have yet to see the light of day.

— seth abramovitch, The Hollywood Reporter, "Tim Roth Invites You to Join Him at a Vivian Maier Exhibition," 14 July 2017
And in meticulous and ghastly detail Tuesday at the Criminal Justice Center, an associate medical examiner explained exactly what that meant.

— chris palmer, Philly.com, "N. Philly man held for trial in beating death of infant son," 11 July 2017
Boston’s deep cache of future picks would have kept that from being a ruinous turn of events, but being left without a new star or Fultz to show for his years of meticulous planning and flexibility would have made Ainge an easy punching bag.

— ben golliver, SI.com, "2017 NBA Free Agency Winners And Losers," 6 July 2017
Sumptuous fabrics, movie-star-chic designs, and meticulous detailing – visitors can lean in close enough to see the stitches.

— diane m. bacha, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Florence Eiseman exhibit turns Museum of Wisconsin Art into a summer fashion haven," 3 July 2017
A single miniature can take months of work, as the two artists recreate meticulous, life-like replicas.

— arthur tam, CNN, "Artists bring Hong Kong's past to life in miniatures," 28 June 2017
Summerville designed the brothel costume in meticulous mix-and-match detail to evoke a woman who feels in control of every aspect of her life.

— vanityfair.com, VanityFair.com, "Thandie Newton on How Westworld’s “Profound” Nude Scenes Gave Maeve Her Voice," 26 June 2017
Rest, nutrition, and exercise are essential when a simple spacewalk requires meticulous practice filling air tanks, checking control systems, and inspecting your space suit for leaks.

— NBC News, "How Space Travel Affects Our Health," 19 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'meticulous.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

meticulous Has Fearful Roots

It may surprise you to learn that meticulous is derived from the Latin word for "fearful" - meticulosus - and ultimately comes from the Latin noun metus, meaning "fear." Although meticulous currently has no "fearful" meanings, it was originally used as a synonym of frightened and timid. This sense had fallen into disuse by 1700, and in the 19th century meticulous acquired a new sense of "overly and timidly careful" (probably influenced by the French word méticuleux). This in turn led to the current meaning of "painstakingly careful," with no connotations of fear at all. The newest use was controversial among some usage commentators at first, but it has since become by far the most common meaning and is no longer considered an error.

Origin and Etymology of meticulous

Latin meticulosus fearful, irregular from metus fear

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1827

See Words from the same year

Synonym Discussion of meticulous

careful, meticulous, scrupulous, punctilious mean showing close attention to detail. careful implies attentiveness and cautiousness in avoiding mistakes. a careful worker meticulous may imply either commendable extreme carefulness or a hampering finicky caution over small points. meticulous scholarship scrupulous applies to what is proper or fitting or ethical. scrupulous honesty punctilious implies minute, even excessive attention to fine points. punctilious observance of ritual